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The Marine Fishes of Broward County, Florida: Final Report of 1998-2002 Survey Results

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The Marine Fishes of Broward County, Florida: Final Report of 1998-2002 Survey Results NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-532 The Marine Fishes of Broward County, Florida: Final Report of 1998-2002 Survey Results Palm Beach County Port Everglades Hillsboro Inlet Dade County 1 Fleur Ferro1, Lance K.B. Jordan1,2, and Richard E. Spieler1,2 U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, Florida 33149 July 2005 Oceanographic Center1 and the National Coral Reef Institute2, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 N. Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 USA NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-532 The Marine Fishes of Broward County, Florida: Final Report of 1998-2002 Survey Results Fleur Ferro, Lance K.B. Jordan, and Richard E. Spieler U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Conrad C. Lautenbacker Jr., Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere National Marine Fisheries Service William T. Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center Miami, Florida July 2005 This technical memorandum series is used for documentation and timely communication of preliminary results, interim reports, or special purpose information, and has not undergone external scientific review. NOTICE The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) does not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or material mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to the NMFS, or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NMFS approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned herein or which has as its purpose any intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased because of NMFS publication. This report should be cited as follows: Fleur, F., L.K.B. Jordan, and R.E. Spieler. 2005. The marine fishes of Broward county, Florida: Final Report of 1998-2002 Survey Results. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-532. 73 p. Copies may be obtained by writing: National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, Florida 33149 or National Technical Information Service 5258 Port Royal Road Springfield, Virginia 22161 (703) 487-4650 FAX: (703) 321-8547 Rush Orders: (800) 336-4700 PDF version available at www.sefsc.noaa.gov ii The Marine Fishes of Broward County, Florida: Final Report of 1998-2002 Survey Results Fleur Ferro, Lance K.B. Jordan, and Richard E. Spieler July 2005 Executive Summary We inventoried fishes associated with three hardbottom reef tracts that are separated by sand and run parallel to the coast in sequentially deeper water offshore Broward County, Florida. Using SCUBA and the Bohnsack-Bannerot visual point count method, we recorded fish abundance, species richness, sizes (TL), and general habitat characteristics within an imaginary 15m cylinder extending from the substrate to the surface. Sites were sampled along transects at quarter nautical mile intervals along 18 nautical miles of coastline at western and eastern edges, and crest of each of the three reef tracts. A total of 86,463 fishes belonging to 208 species and 52 families was censused from 667 sites over four years (August 1998 to November 2002). Mean species richness, mean total abundance and mean total biomass of fishes increased significantly on each reef tract moving offshore (p<0.05, ANOVA, SNK). Tract differences may be due to a variety of variables, such as depth, current, refuge, food availability, and other habitat preferences. Differences were found within reef tracts based on edge or crest sites and position along reefs north or south of Port Everglades and Hillsboro Inlet. Sites within 5 na. mi. south of Port Everglades had lower total abundance and species richness (p<0.05, ANOVA) than the same number of sites located within 5 nautical miles north of the port. Also, south of Port Everglades, the western edge of the reef tracts had greater abundance and richness values than the eastern edge or the crest (p<0.05, ANOVA). In contrast, the eastern edge predominated in both abundance and richness north of Port Everglades (p<0.05, ANOVA). The reason(s) for these differences may be linked to topographic variables. In general, at count sites north of Port Everglades, the eastern edges of the reef tracts had a higher amount of vertical relief, and attendant refuge, than at southern count sites. Likewise, although regressions were weak, differences in species richness and abundance were related to bottom cover, rugosity, and depth to some extent. Hillsboro Inlet showed similar patterns. Sites within 3.75 nautical miles south of the inlet had lower abundance and species richness (p<0.05, ANOVA) than the same number of sites north of the inlet. These patterns could be influenced by effluent transport by the predominantly north-bound current running parallel to the coast. Density of juvenile grunts, an important forage base, was similar on the inshore and middle reefs, but was significantly higher than on the offshore reef. Of management interest, was a scarcity or absence of groupers and snappers observed over four years. Although juvenile red grouper were frequently seen (n = 232 at 667 sites), only two were above legal minimum size. No goliath or black grouper were recorded. A total of 10 gag, yellowfin, or scamp grouper was observed; none were legal. Among six snapper species, 219 of 718 were of legal size. iii Table of Contents The Marine Fishes of Broward County, Florida: Final Report of 1998-2002 Survey Results Executive Summary ............................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………... iv 1.0. INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………... 1 1.1. Significance of this Study ………………………………………….......... 1 1.2. Previous Studies …………………………………………………… ……. 1 1.3. Statement of Purpose ……………………………………………………. 2 2.0. METHODS AND MATERIALS ………………………………………… 2 2.1. Study Area ……………………………………………………………….. 2 2.2. Census Technique ………………………………………………………… 6 2.2.1. Census Site Determination ……………………………………………….. 6 2.2.2. Equipment ………………………………………………………………… 6 2.2.3. Underwater Operations …………………………………………………… 7 2.2.4. Point Count Procedure …………………………………………………… 9 2.3. Data Analysis …………………………………………………………….. 9 3.0. RESULTS ………………………………………………………………… 10 3.1. Broward County Reef Tract Description …………………………………. 10 3.1.1. Inshore Reef Tract ………………………………………………………… 10 3.1.2. Middle Reef Tract ………………………………………………………… 13 3.1.3. Offshore Reef Tract ………………………………………………………. 16 3.2. Fish Assemblage Structures ……………………………………………… 18 3.2.1. Totals for Each Reef Tract ……………………………………………….. 18 3.2.2. Abundance and Species Richness North and South of Port Everglades …. 23 3.2.3. Fish Assemblages Relating to Port Everglades …………………………… 26 3.2.4. Abundance and Species Richness North and South of Hillsboro Inlet …… 27 3.2.5. Fish Assemblages Around Hillsboro Inlet ……………………………….. 32 3.2.6. Total Fish Abundance and Species Richness North to South ……………. 33 3.2.7. Environmental Factors ……………………………………………………. 34 3.2.8. Juvenile Haemulidae……………………………………………………….. 38 3.2.9. Serranidae …………………………………………………………………. 40 3.2.10. Lutjanidae ………………………………………………………………… 43 4.0. DISCUSSION …………………………………………………………….. 46 4.1. Broward County’s Fish Assemblage Structure …………………………… 46 4.2. Port Everglades and Hillsboro Inlet ……………………………………… 48 4.3. Juvenile Haemulidae ………………………………………………………. 48 4.4. Serranidae ………………………………………………………………… 49 4.5. Lutjanidae ………………………………………………………………… 49 5.0. CONCLUSION …………………………………………………………… 50 6.0. ACKNOWLEGMENTS ………………………………………………….. 50 7.0. REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………. 51 iv INTRODUCTION 1.1. Significance of this Study The ability to determine change in an environmental resource in response to any anthropogenic activity or natural event requires an accurate inventory of that resource prior to the activity or event occurring. The coral reef fishes in Broward County, Florida, both residents and transients, are subject to multiple environmental stressors, including such activities as heavy fishing pressure (both commercial and recreational), effluent from Fort Lauderdale and Port Everglades, and habitat destruction from anchoring and ship groundings (five major groundings have occurred on Broward County reefs in the last 10 years). Coral reefs are highly productive communities, which are important to the fisheries of southern Florida (Miclat et al. 1981). Multiple local management decisions are being implemented or considered to alleviate depleted fish stocks and marine life or to mitigate damage (e.g., small boat mooring buoys, artificial reefs, fish stocking, and marine protected areas). In addition, management decisions at the state and federal level can potentially impact the reef fishes of Broward County (e.g., catch limits, redirection of fresh water outflow from Everglades restoration projects, creation of reserves for reproductive stock in the Florida Keys). Management policies are in turn dependent upon reliable fisheries data collection and efficient assessment methods (Beets 1997). The collected data can be utilized for a variety of management strategies (e.g., designing reserve areas) as well as have basic science value (e.g., understanding the organization of reef fish assemblages) (Friedlander & Parrish 1998). Without knowledge of current stocks, the effects of management decisions will be difficult
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